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Virtual PC help.
DRebelGirl
Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
I have a 15" Powerbook and have opted to to install virtual PC with Windows XP because some photo sites I use for my business require it. My question is (and I admit it may be a stupid one), do I need to install virus protection to the virtual PC side of my Mac or will viruses not affect me because it is a virtual PC.
Thanks for your help on this.
Thanks for your help on this.
Shoot first...ask questions later! :thumb
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"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
Virtual PC runs the real Windows OS so it's exposed to all the same basic risks.
Make sure you install all security fixes for Windows as well (same as you would for a "real" PC).
Virtual PC May Be Vulnerable to Virus Attacks
Article ID: 828574
Last Review: September 15, 2003
Revision:1.0
SUMMARY
This article discusses some of the ways that Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac may be vulnerable to virus attacks.
MORE INFORMATION
When you run a virtual machine in Virtual PC for Mac, the operating system that is installed on the virtual machine may be vulnerable to attacks by Windows-based viruses if the virtual machine is configured to connect to the Internet directly through Virtual Switch networking. In Virtual Switch networking mode, the Windows operating system directly connects to the Internet. As a result, it may be vulnerable to attacks from Windows-based viruses and other malicious programs.
If the Windows operating system is connecting to the Internet by using Shared Networking, it is in fact connecting through the Macintosh operating system and the Macintosh networking connections. This type of connection can help protect your operating system from network-based virus attacks.
However, your computer may still be vulnerable to virus attacks through e-mail messages. Microsoft recommends that you use an antivirus program to scan all your incoming e-mail messages.
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Are Macintoshes affected by mass-mailing viruses or worms?
Situation:
You were told or you suspect that your Macintosh is infected with a mass-mailing virus, such as Sobig, Klez, Bugbear, Aliz, Goner, Badtrans, Sircam or Nimda.
Solution:
To date, there is only one known mass-mailing worm that can infect the Macintosh. This worm, known as Mac.Simpsons@mm, is an AppleScript worm that can infect a Macintosh running Mac OS 8 - 9 and cannot infect Mac OS X. Norton AntiVirus for Macintosh versions 5 through 9, with virus definitions dated July 2001 or later, can detect this worm.
Some Windows-specific mass-mailing email worms exploit a vulnerability in the Windows versions of Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. The Macintosh versions of Microsoft Outlook Express and Entourage do not have this vulnerability.
Since a worm or virus can be email based, a Macintosh user could pass on the worm or virus through an infected email, by manually forwarding it to a Windows user. If you receive an email infected with, or carrying a worm or virus, then delete the email and do not forward or reply to it. Deleting an infected email removes the virus from your computer. If you open this email or choose not to delete it, nothing will happen. It is best to delete the email, because there is no reason to keep it. The only way you can infect a PC with the virus or worm, is by forwarding an infected email to a person using a PC. The virus or worm cannot do anything on the Macintosh operating system because it will only work on a PC using a Microsoft Windows operating system.
Note: If you have software such as Virtual PC, SoftWindows or SoftPC, which emulate a Windows environment on your Macintosh, your virtual Windows operating system (OS) can become infected with PC viruses or worms. To protect this type of environment, you must have virus protection installed in your virtual Windows OS, such as Norton AntiVirus for Windows. If you decide to protect your virtual Windows environment with Norton AntiVirus for Windows, please note that Symantec does not support their software when it is installed in emulation environments.
For more information about viruses and what you can do to help protect Windows from them, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/?url=/technet/security/virus/alerts/
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp
"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson